Page 63 of Solan

“That was when his friend punched him in the face,” Olid said. “He told him he was an idiot. I tried to clear as many breakables out of their way before they started slamming into each other.” He looked around at the smashed glass. “I don’t know why I bothered. I’ll have to shut for the night while I clear up the mess.”

“Keep going,” Vegas urged. “What happened next?”

“He said something about him making a mistake,” Olid said. “He was telling him to see sense. Then they slammed into each other a few times, scattered their blood everywhere, and suddenly it was all over. The bigger one, the colonel, realized he was wrong.”

“Hold on a second.” Vegas shook her head. “Solan does want me?”

Olid smirked. “That’s something you need to find out. Good luck with that. He’s a stubborn one.”

Vegas let out a shaky sigh, delight dancing through her veins. “I already know that. Are you sure you don’t know where they went?”

“Most likely the holding cells. They went there to find you.” He held out a broom. “I don’t suppose you fancy helping me sort this place out? It is sort of your fault that I now have a destroyed bar on my hands.”

“I promise, I’ll make it up to you.” Vegas grabbed Heather as they headed for the door. “We’ll buy extra drinks the next time we’re here.”

“It will take more than that to sort this place out.” Olid shook his head.

Vegas was only half listening as they ran out of the bar. “I’m more confused than ever.”

“Stop fighting this.” Heather looked along the corridor. “We’ll go back to the holding cells and see if Solan is there. He’ll have discovered you escaped. You two need serious alone time to figure all this out.”

“Vegas!”

She spun on her heel and took a couple of steps forward. He was here. Solan was looking for her. She saw blood on his face and damage to his knuckles. Before she could ask if he was okay, he swept her into his arms and covered her mouth with his.

He pulled away. His gaze swept over her. “You are here. You are safe.”

“I am. I’m fine. Well, I am now you’re here. What happened to you?” Her fingers touched a bruise swelling on his cheek.

“I have taught my second-in-command how to fight well,” Solan said.

Vegas glanced at Padam who stood a few steps back, a smile on his face. “You did this?”

“I have my own injuries.” Padam held up bruised looking knuckles.

“It is how we settle things,” Solan said. “Knocking sense into each other is the Galaxar way. If we are to be mated, you must understand that, although I will never hurt you. I will try to change, but I need time to adjust.”

“I do understand. But you must also understand I will worry about you when you’re fighting. That is the human way.”

His fingers gently brushed across her lips. “Does that mean you want to be my mate?”

Heather cleared her throat. “Perhaps you can talk about this later?”

“I thought you wanted me to get this sorted out?” Vegas couldn’t pull her gaze away from Solan. Why had she resisted this gorgeous alien? All the time they’d wasted when they could have been having so much fun together.

“It’s just that, well, we’ve got company.” Heather tugged on Vegas’s arm.

She looked past Solan, and her chest grew tight. Boros and four of his troop stood at the end of the corridor. Boros’s fists were clenched and his eyes narrowed as he stared at her clasped in Solan’s arms.

“It’s not just him,” Heather whispered. “Diadora is behind us.”

Vegas stepped back and turned to stare at Diadora. She wasn’t sure who she was more scared of, the angry Galaxar who looked like he wanted to tear her head off or her boss, who would fire her so hard she’d feel bruised for a month.

“We had a deal.” Boros stomped along the corridor, his guards flanking him. “This human female is mine.”

Diadora marched toward them, until Vegas, Solan, Padam, and Heather were surrounded.

Solan growled a warning and pushed Vegas behind him, turning his back so he could watch both parties.